Pickup trucks are often temporarily converted for use as a recreational vehicle. The most common way of doing this is by mounting a camper to the cargo compartment of the pickup truck. Although these rigid camper bodies have distinct advantages, they are very heavy and relatively expensive. Their weight and height drastically reduce the mileage the user realizes when driving and also make their removal and storage quite difficult.
In order to reduce the weight and cost associated with rigid camper bodies, various types of supported cloth covers for the cargo compartment of pickup trucks have been developed. Many of these covers are intended not for human habitation, but merely to cover the cargo area. Therefore, the supporting frame structures of these cargo covers are often not particularly suitable for supporting the much higher cover required when used as a shelter for people.
The prior art cloth covers which have been developed as temporary dwellings, called tent campers, have failed to appreciate and take advantage of the added floor space available when the tailgate is in its lowered or horizontal position. Further, the prior art cargo covers and tent campers often require the user to set or adjust the internal supports from positions from within the cargo compartment. Erection of these coverings can be quite awkward and frustrating.